Ballast for aircraft



Feb. 17, 1931.

WITNESS.`

M. B. PUPP BALLAST FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 17, .1930

2 Sheets-Sheet l l N VEN TOR HIS ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1931.

M. B. PUPF BALLAST FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 17, 1930 2 Shee's--Sheei'l 2 Hfs ATTORNEY v Patented F eb. 1K7, 19314 Unirse stares i ATENT oFFIc-E MAX PUPP, F SUDERTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLAYTON K. GOTWALS, GF SGUDERTOI,PENNSYLVANIA g. i

BALLAST non 'Arnonnnr Application'ied April 1V,

This invention relates to ballast for aircraft and has for an object to provide improved means for storing and discharging liquid ballast, generallywater. f

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide, in an aircraft, a plurality of ballast compartments which may be discharged, as occasion requires, and making provision for discharging a predetermined portion of the ballast therefrom simultaneously.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an aircraft, a plurality of containers for liquid ballast, with al conduitY for discharging and with manually operated valves controlling the flowof ballast from. thecon-v tainers tothe conduit, which are operable to discharge a pre-determined portion of the ballast content. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an aircraft, a plurality of ballast compartments, a conduit for discharging ballast from the containers, with valves interposed,

`and means located convenient to the pilot, or

operatorv ofthe craft for controlling the l 7 a l' valves.

The invention therefore comprises anaircraft having a plurality of independent ballast containers with a conduit associated with said containers and adapted to discharge the ballast in the form of a spray with means under the controlof the pilot for discharging, from said containers, into saidconduit a predetermined portion of the ballast content.

My. invention is directed to otherobjects and possesses other features of novelty. and advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be hereinafter set forth.

ln the drawings z- Figurel is a view partlyin side elevation partly in section, of a conventional'car, forming a part of an aircraft, showing in'sections the location and relation of ballast compartments and the operating means,- f i.

Ffgure 2 is a. view taken on the same plane as Figure 1, but on an enlarged scale, A

Figure 3 is a view, partly in vdiametrical section and partly in elevation, of one ofthe valves Vcontrolling the discharge of :ballast from the container, Y

Figure 4 is `a transverse-'sectional View ieee. serial No. 444,937.

As shown in the drawings, merely for thev purpose of'illustration and without limitation, a buoyant chamber isindicated, with a car l1 suspended therebeneath in the usual manner, said car being shown merely as illustrative. Y Y

At some position within-the car, preferably beneath the floor 12, will be located aplu* rality of ballast tanks 13. As shown at Fig*- ures l and 2, these ballast tanks Vl?) are alternated by tanks 14 intend-edto carry fuel, but it isto be understood of course, that the interposition of these tanksV 14s, or their veryex'- istence, is not apart of the present invention and that theyl in no way effect the invention so far asit relatesto the ballast tanks. Y All of the tanks are, shown with filler nipples 15, but again this is merely illustrative and the tanks, both of the type shown at-f18 and those shown atlll, .may be filledvin any manner and by the use of any appliances or accessories.

Located below the plane of the several tanks, a conduit'lis employed, which will preferably extend throughout the entire length occupied by the said tanks, and will terminate at some convenient point without the car in means, asthe sprinkler head 17 Y haust pipe 20, into -the branch and through IIS the conduit 16 to further diffuse the ballast discharged from the spray head 17.

Beneath each of the containers 13 a valve 23 is located, in an appropriate housing 24. A section of pipe 25 runs from the housing 24 upwardly into the tank to a position adjacent the top of the tank, ratio of the length of pipe to the height ot the tank being predetermined. s shown in the drawings, the length of the pipe to the height of the tank is s 4 to 5, but such l h is wholly elective ien and may be varied as circumstances or choice may dictate. This pipe 25 is in position to register with an opening 26 formedY in the valve 23. At Figure 4 a transverse section the valve is shown, showing the form of this opening Villien the valve 23 is revolnbly moved in 'the direction of the arrow, the opening 26 will form communication between the pipe 25 and the nipple 27, Yinterposed between the housing 24 and the conduit 16, so that the conte. ts of the containers above the ends of the pipes 25 will be dis charged through said pipe, through the openings 26 and int-o the coiuluit 16.

A second pipe 28 forms communication also between the container 13 and the valve housing 24, such con'imunication being at the bottom of the container and in position to register with the opening 29 in the valve 23 when the valve 23 shall be further rotated in the direction of the arrow. This opening 29 communicates with a passage 30 extending longitudinally of the valve 23 and communicating with the opening 26. The extent of the opening 26 is such that when the opening 29 brought into registery with the pipe 28, the opening 26 will still be in communication with the nipple 27 so that the ballast will flow through the pipe 27, opening 29, passage 30, opening 26, nipple 27 into said conduit. Means, as the screw cap 31, is provided for maintaining the valve 23 properly seated within the housing and means for rotating the valve is provided, conventionally shown as a pulley 32. Each of the several valves are interconnected by belts or bands passing over and about the several pulleys llilithin some part of the car, as for instance, the compartment 34, which may for convenience be termed the pilot house, will be located the control for the valves. This may take any form that convenience or engineering may dictate for rotating the valves. is shown in the drawings, an upright 35 is provided with a segmental gear 36 ournaled therein with a second segmental gear 37 in mesh with the gear 36. The gear 36 carries a walking beam 38 from the opposite ends of which extend cables 39 and 40 passing about a direction changing mechanism, as a pulley 41, and over the rst of the pulleys 32. .any means for applying manual stress for actuating the gears 36 and 37 may be pro vided and is here indicated as a crank arm 42.

ln operation the several tanks 13 will be filled with water or other liquid for ballast purposes. l/Vhen through any contingencies of operation it becomes necessary or desirable to discharge a part of said ballast for the purpose of lightening the ship, the crank arm 42 may be moved to the dotted line position 42, whereupon the several valves 23 will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure 4 to bring the opening into such position as to drain out a predetermined part of the ballast through the pipe 25 as hereinbefore more fully disclosed, and simultaneously, if the power plant is in operation, it is desirable to divert the eX- haust to the conduit 16, whereupon the ballast will be discharged from the spray head 17 in the form of a mist and will not have any discommoding effecting upon persons or property situated below.

l/Vhen tl'uough the same or other contingencies of operation it is necessary or desirable to discharge all of the ballast, a further movement of the crank arm 42 in the same direction, will bring the opening 29 into registery with the pipe 28 and the content of the containers 13 will be discharged in the manner hereinbefore described.

lVhile in the drawings simultaneous con trol of all of the several tanks has been shown, it is obvious that such control of all the tanks is immaterial to the present invention yand that certain containers of the several tanks may be selected to which such device is applied, other being provided with no discharge means or with such other type of discharge means as may be selected or with separate installations of the present type of discharging apparatus for the control of separate units or groups of units as may be found feasible.

Of course, the aircraft ballast apparatus herein illustrated, may be modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows 1. An aircraft ballasting apparatus comprising a plurality of ballast containers, a conduit common to said containers, a valved passage from said containers to said conduit,

.and manual means for simultaneously controlling said valves.

2. An aircraft ballasting` apparatus comprising a plurality of ballast containers, a conduit, branch conduits forming communication between said conduit and said containers, valves interposed in said branch conduits, and means including said branch con duits and valves for discharging a pre-determined portion of the ballast content from said containers.

3. An aircraft ballasting apparatus comprising ya plurality of ballast containers, a conduit, a spray head mounted upon said conduit, branch conduits extending from said l conduit to the said containers, valves conduits, a power plant, and a by-pass fromV trolling the passage through said branch consaid'poWer plant to said conduit. p

4. An aircraft ballasting apparatus comprising a craft body, a plurality of contain-V ers mounted in said body, a conduit mounted in said body beneath said containers, laterals leading from said conduit to' said containers, valves in said laterals, and manual means for operating saidrvalves.

5. An aircraft ballasting apparatus co1nprising a craft body, a plurality of ballast containers carriedv by the body, a conduit Within the body and beneath the containers, a spray head terminating said conduit Without the'body, late'rals leading from said containers to said conduit, valves controlling the flow of ballast through said laterals, and means to apply manual stress to operate said valve simultaneously.

6. An' aircraft ballasting apparatus comprising a plurality of ballast containers, a conduit beneath said containers, l'aterals connecting said conduit With each of said containers, a valve controlling the HOW of ballast through each of said laterals, means to manually move said valve to discharge a pre-de termined portion of the ballast through one of said laterals and into the conduit, and means to move the Valve a further distance to discharge the remaining portion of said ballast into said conduit.

7. An yaircraft ballasting apparatus comprising a ballast container, a conduit located beneath the ballast container, laterals'leading from said conduit to said container, one,

of said laterals extending apre-determined Vdistance into said container and one stopping short of said first mentioned distance, and a valve controllirngV both of'said laterals inde- Y pendently.

8. An aircraft ballasting apparatus compri sing a ballast container, a conduit adjacent the container, laterals extending from said conduit, one terminating at the interior surface of said container and one extending al pre-determined distance across said container, and a valve interposedin both of said laterals controlling thelow electively through either of said laterals to said conduit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication. Y

i v MAX B.VPUPP. 

